Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#381

Post by matt-attack » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:12 PM UTC

totalrobe wrote: post #331

x0x0 wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, it's becoming annoying. Batteries are more likely fake/offbrand than not, even when the ad claims otherwise, and last at best 3 months instead of 24 in my car's key fob. I got frustrated and eventually bought them at a local hardware store. Replacement chargers are chinese imitation shit. I've had an increasing number of purchases that don't match their descriptions. Amazon has been very good about it, and alwa…

Bought some LED kitchen track lights on amazon that uniformly burned out in < 2 months

Yes me too. Never thought to blame Amazon. Do you have a recommendation for a more quality product?

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#382

Post by chc » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:12 PM UTC

_delirium wrote: post #145

sageabilly wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon has never been able to keep up with physical store prices on loss leaders- items that stores frequently mark down below inventory costs to get people in the door in the hopes they will also buy enough marked up merchandise to make up for the loss. I did compare Bounty paper towels and Charmin Ultra about a month ago between Costco and Amazon and found that the dollar savings I got at Costco didn't make up for…

Even on just middle-of-the-road household goods, ignoring weekly sales, Amazon doesn't seem very competitive with brick-and-mortar stores for staple goods, or at least those I buy. I occasionally run down a list of stuff I typically buy at Walmart (shampoo, detergent, OTC drugs, sponges, that kind of thing) to see if any of it has gotten competitive on Amazon, and it usually ends up being way more, not just 5% more o…

Interesting. Just a couple of days ago, I compared some kitchen cleaning supplies at my local Target to Amazon and found Amazon quite a bit cheaper. I wonder if it's a matter of regional variation, where Amazon just isn't pricing competitively for your local market and Walmart is.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#383

Post by acqq » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:13 PM UTC

clinta wrote: post #352

x0x0 wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ditto, though here's the problem with amazon: buying apple stuff on there is a shit experience. Go there right now and type macbook pro in the search. You'll get a page of results with these top results: Apple MacBook Pro MF839LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (128 GB) NEWEST VERSION Apple MacBook Pro MD101LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop Apple MacBook Pro MJLQ2LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (NEWEST VERSION)…

This is half Amazon's problem, and half Apple's problem for not giving their computer models unique names. Type iPhone 6s and you get much more clear results.

No, it's that these listings on Amazon are kind-of-like "eBay" just without the auctioning part. The seller can write whatever he wants. Amazon just evaluates the complaints of the buyers.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#384

Post by WorldMaker » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:15 PM UTC

Pyxl101 wrote: post #365

korzun wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not the point. Who cares if it's expensive or confusing. They are banning products that are competing with their own products. Amazon is simply a store for majority of the people who shop there. If Google banned Amazon from search results you would probably be outraged.

Based on the news article, Amazon isn't banning competitors. Roku competes with Fire TV, and the Netflix app it bundles competes with Prime Video. The article says Amazon will still sell Roku. Indeed, Amazon's Fire TV also supports Netflix and Hulu and HBO and ESPN and whatnot, not just Amazon Video. The news article says that they're banning video streaming devices that don't support Amazon Video. So if that's true,…

If it were the primary motivation to avoid confusing Prime members they could easily just add a bold description field: DOES NOT SUPPORT AMAZON VIDEO. They could also just drop it from Prime-eligible rather than drop it from the store entirely. Many Prime members filter things by Prime-eligible (for many different reasons) and that would possibly be more effective than dropping it entirely.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#385

Post by mathgeek » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:15 PM UTC

Pyxl101 wrote: post #367

cwkoss wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agree. They are destroying their most valuable component of their brand, for a relatively weak one (Prime Video). I have Prime and prefer Netflix, because Prime Video still doesn't have a great selection.

I use them both as well. What I like about Amazon* Video is that it has new releases. If I don't catch a movie while it's still in the theater, I can watch it the day it comes out online. I still have a Netflix DVD subscription, so I could go that route too, but I always forget. Are there other good ways to watch new releases? Looks like the iTunes store also lets you rent movies. *Edit: I meant Amazon Video here whe…

Vudu is a pretty solid platform for both renting and buying digitally. It works on pretty much everything these days, but I don't believe there is a native AppleTV app yet.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#386

Post by Elizer0x0309 » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:17 PM UTC

Can never trust a company with similar competing products.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#387

Post by TazeTSchnitzel » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:17 PM UTC

driverdan wrote: post #12

ryanobjc wrote: post #4

This is a unfortunate turn of events. When I worked for Amazon we were a neutral vendor and would sell anything that is legal. There were a number of first amendment right fights as well. But clearly that era has come to a close.

It came to a close a long time ago. Amazon refuses to sell many legal products, eg caffeine powder and anything with the confederate flag.

Legality should not be the bar you hold products to. For example, you don't want to sell products which don't work. You don't want to sell mislabelled products.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#388

Post by IgorPartola » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:17 PM UTC

commandar wrote: post #287

IgorPartola wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's an example: http://www.amazon.com/Ryobi-P882-Lithium-Ion-Impact-Driver/d... - $155 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ONE-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Dri... - $150

For a Ryobi, it'd make sense that Home Depot would be cheaper since anyone selling it on Amazon is a reseller; Ryobi is sold exclusively by Home Depot in the US.

I've seen the same with Scotts, Fiskars, and a few other brands. Also, things like planes, chisels, etc. seem to be cheaper at B&M stores. On the other hand Amazon does have a wider selection.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#389

Post by yohui » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:19 PM UTC

Pyxl101 wrote: post #373

AJ007 wrote: post #307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is more about Roku vs Google & Apple than Amazon vs Google & Apple. Roku has been the market leader by far up until 2015. One problem is that Amazon is now inviting consumers to open a direct relationship with Google or Apple. If a user makes a purchase of an Apple TV or Chromecast directly, Google or Apple now know exactly who they are. Generally speaking, making it hard or cutting off sales channels for specif…

If I understand the news article correctly, streaming video players will be allowed as long as they support Amazon Video too. If that's a correct understanding, then it implies that Amazon would sell Chromecast or Apple TV again if those companies add support for Prime Video. I could be wrong though - this is based on the limited info in the article.

Amazon claims it's removing Apple TV and Chromecast because they don't support Amazon Video... but Amazon was the one who decided not to support Apple TV and Chromecast in the first place.

Chromecast and Apple TV are more than popular enough to warrant app support, so it can't be a question of platform marketshare, either. (Chromecast support is so simple that the idea Amazon can't do it is laughable.) Android TV is not as popular, but Amazon already has an Android TV app, except it's restricted to Sony TVs: http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/05/16/amazon-disables-the-...

This is not a retaliation. Amazon's suggestion that this is Apple or Google's fault is simply false.

Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

#390

Post by thrownaway2424 » Thu, Oct 01, 2015, 9:20 PM UTC

The branding here is awful, there exists confusion on the part of the public, the press, the commentators here, and even the executives from Amazon. Isn't their streaming video service called "Amazon Instant Video"? Isn't Prime simply a feature whereby a tiny fragment of their video catalog is provided at no additional charge to Prime subscribers? Isn't the entire rest of the catalog available on a pay-per-view or purchase basis?

Everybody here is saying "Prime Video" but I can't imagine that's a major revenue stream for Amazon or a major source of entertainment for anyone else. If you only watched what's available to Prime subscribers you'd run out of things worth watching fairly quickly.